Electrical Engineering: What Are the Health Risks of Living Near an Electric Substation?

By analyzing the cases of people living near power stations, researchers believe that humans can suffer from cancer and tumors when exposed to EMF radiation. However, they fail to give proper justifications like the relation between field strength and possible risk associated with it.

Health Risks of Living near an Electric Substation

Electricity is generated in electric power stations and is distributed country wide by substations located near populated areas. In this article we will take a deep look to study the health risk associated with these small power stations. To understand how theses power substations are causing possible health risks to the human body, we will study the process involved in the transmission of power from substations to a domestic user.

Image: Flickr, Vaxomatic/Patrick Finnegan, South Prairie Substation

What is an Electric Substation?

A substation is used to step down the high voltage (generated in power stations) for domestic and commercial usage. The aim of these substations is to provide electricity to a populated area, thus these substations can be found in the vicinity of populated areas. A typical substation includes:

• Power lines
• Transformer
• Switches and relays

Power lines are the main source of transporting electricity from substations to a domestic area. To minimize the power loses, electricity is transmitted at high voltage levels and minimum current levels. These high voltage lines transmit radiation called the "electro-magnetic field" or shortly EMF. Whenever a current passes through a conductor, an EMF is always associated with it. EMF contains an electric and magnetic field component oscillating at 180 degrees. The phase difference between the electric and magnetic fields is 90 degrees.

Researchers believe that this radiation could possibly lead to cancer in human body. Now one might be wondering if it is possible to measure these invisible radiations, and if so, then how to measure them. A device called a "Gauss meter" is used to measure the intensity of EMF. According to the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) a safe range of 1600 uT is defined.
A transformer is a small metal device of cylindrical type. Its main function is to reduce the voltage level usually from 4000V to 440V/220V for domestic usage. The EMF strength near the transformer is high, but reduces rapidly as we move away from it.
Electromagnetic induction occurs in switches and relays installed in the substation and is also a possible cause of EMF radiation.

How EMF affects the Human Body

EMF contain both electric and magnetic field at 90 deg of phase difference and oscillating at angle of 180 deg.The electric field traverses the air and starts oscillating human cells at high frequency, causing them to heat up. Thus high-power EMF can damage body cells. Similarly the varying magnetic field induces an electric current in human cells and tissues. Since skin is directly exposed to these radiations, it can be badly damaged.

Summary and Conclusions

Researchers who believe that humans can suffer from cancer and tumor when exposed to EMF radiation get their data from studies of people living near power stations. But they fail to give proper justifications, like the relation between EMF field stength and the possible risk associated with it or the mechanisms that can trigger processes like cancer and the creation of tumors. Solving this mystery will require that further full-fledged research be conducted.